Lightning and WhirlpoolWild Magic
by Arashi Uzumaki-Namikaze
Summary: A story of Minato and Kushina, the beginning and end of their legend.  May become a series that ties into Naruto.  Pairings: Jira/Tsu  mostly one-sided  Mina/Kushi  main  and side pairings Obi/Rin and Kaka/Shizu, along with other side pairings not listed.
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Naruto. This is my first try at a coherent story without having it screw up. And yes, I did figure out how to read reviews, so while at the time that wasn't a lie it is now LOLZ so ignore it please. The first chaps focus on Minato and then switch focus to Kushina. Then it will go back and forth.

In the Elemental Countries, in a place called Konoha, there was much celebration at the Namikaze clan compound. On January 25th, the year 279 by the Fire Calendar, Yumi Namikaze gave birth to Minato Namikaze, male heir of the Namikaze clan, at 4:00am. At 6:00am she gave birth to his twin, Kayaku Namikaze. Both were extremely happy babies.

It was noticed early on that one of them was quiet and the other was loud. Minato was the quiet one, never crying when he needed something. It was his cries that enabled Kayaku to survive the night, however, because his brother started choking at midnight and he started screaming. This got his mother's attention, and so even from a young age he was protecting his little brother.

When Minato and Kayaku were two months old, Yumi Namikaze divorced her husband, Karashi Namikaze, and left with Kayaku. She was never seen again. Minato was watched even more carefully afterwards since he would only cry when he absolutely had to have something like food. Otherwise he was very quiet.

Minato was three months old when his father took him from his room in the middle of the night, causing him to wake. Karashi sighed as he went down into the deep parts of the Namikaze mansion, and hid Minato somewhere no one would find him. Noting the blue eyes looking at him with a question, he sighed.

"I need you to stay here, Minato. Stay here and stay safe, alright?"

He got a barely noticeable nod from Minato in return.

"And be quiet. They will notice noise. Stay here and be very quiet."

The child nodded up at him, and he left for upstairs.

That night, the entire Namikaze clan was massacred by Iwa shinobi…all save for the child hidden within the bowels of the mansion, in a place not even they knew of. Most Namikazes didn't know where he was!

Three days later…

A/N: Sorry for not doing this at the beginning of the chapter. I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Wish I did, but don't. I'd probably screw it up if I did own it.

So, tune in next time to find out what happened to the child. Do you think he's alive or dead? That's up to you, and the next chapter will probably be longer. This one's still centered around Minato though, and then we switch to Kushina. There will be timeskips but nothing more than five years per timeskip. MORE THAN does not mean always five-year timeskips.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Naruto. Minato HAS BEEN FOUND OH WOW!  
  
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru were all Chuunin at this point in time. They were searching the house with their sensei, the Hokage. Sandaime Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi. The entire team already knew of the massacre of the Namikazes. They also hadn't identified a few corpses, but it was obvious that the clan heir was not among them. So, they were commissioned by their sensei to find out what happened. No one really knew. Iwa had surprised them, according to the records.

Jiraiya was assigned the western part of the house, Orochimaru, the eastern, Tsunade was searching the main part, and their sensei was looking around the grounds to see if they could find any clues. They were a rather different team, but…well, they were nice at least. Jiraiya was slightly perverted, Tsunade was anti-pervert, and Orochimaru was just creepy.

Finally they'd narrowed it down to a single large room. The clan meeting room was deserted and covered in blood, just as the rest of the house had been. Then Jiraiya began searching the walls. It was a standard precaution, as the Namikazes were paranoid with traps.

After ten minutes of searching, he found a hollow part in the wall "Tsu-hime, Orochimaru, take a look at this!"

His teammates came over only to hear that the wall was hollow when he hit it.

"What…what do you think it is?"

"I'm willing to bet it's one of the passageways Sensei was talking about were lost." Jiraiya said in response to Tsunade's question "And before either of you try to stop me, I'm going in."

"But you don't know how" she was cut off by a click of something behind a portrait frame. Jiraiya tensed, looking around quickly for any traps, and then pushed gently on the wall. It swung inward on well-oiled hinges, not making any noise.

He smirked at them before he checked the area for traps and carefully stepped inside carrying a torch that he'd lit with a simple fireball jutsu. Looking around, there were no skeletons…it was even a little smelly, like there was water down here at one point.

Orochimaru hissed to Tsunade "I'm going to go get Sarutobi-sensei. Make sure the idiot doesn't kill himself."

"Jiraiya, tie something around your waist or hand so that you know the way out." Tsunade called softly, tossing him the end of a string "Just so you don't get lost."

Jiraiya nodded back to her, and started down the stairs. They had a lot of string for something like this.

Down in the corridors, he looked around carefully. He ran into a few traps but managed to disable them. Then he found a seal that said simply 'For emergency use only'. He did not touch said seal. He finally found himself standing in front of three different passageways. The plaques over them were not entirely faded but crusted over with cobwebs. Lifting his torch to clear away the cobwebs, he found each of them said something different.  
The one on the left said 'Past.'  
The one in the middle said 'Present.'  
And the one on the right said 'Future.' Looking around quickly, he then heard something. A cry of an infant…coming from the right passageway.

Without a second thought he kept his string with him and walked toward the crying infant.

(Up on the surface)  
Tsunade was holding the other end of a ball of string, letting it slowly unwind as Jiraiya walked through the underground tunnels that were like a maze. Then a hand on her shoulder made her look up and there stood her sensei.

"Did Jiraiya go down there, Tsunade?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi, their Jounin sensei and the Sandaime Hokage.

"Ha-hai, sensei, he did."

"Did he-ah, I see you're using the string trick. I hope you have a lot of string?"

"A few more balls. I'm on my second one. I connected the string with chakra and a well-tied knot. I have five total. He's looking around for any clues down there."

"He insisted, sensei." Orochimaru said softly, and Sarutobi nodded "That makes sense. Jiraiya was never one to stop and think before doing."

"I made him take the string and some water and food in case he got lost." Tsunade said.

"Good. He'll live, it will just take awhile to get to whatever's down there. But whatever he DOES find will be worth it. I'm willing to bet there's someone down there, dead or alive."

(Down in the tunnels beneath the Namikaze mansion)  
The tunnel had sloped downward in a large cliff, but the crying of the infant made Jiraiya take a wall walking down. He walked down, carefully avoiding traps and hurting the already thin string tied around his wrist. He kept a steady flow of chakra into his feet before flipping down the last couple of feet, and continued on towards the crying.

Coming to a turn that went five ways, he used his ears and nose carefully. He found that the way to the most left was leading out somewhere else, the center left tunnel was dank and rotten as if there were corpses littering the tunnels down that way, and the center didn't seem to lead anywhere. The center right held the crying. So, he continued on his way.

Five hours later, he was nearing exhaustion when he found the child. A thin blond-haired blue-eyed baby, no more than a few months old, was crying for all he was worth in the tunnel. Grateful that Tsunade had made him bring milk and water down, along with food, he made a fire in the fireplace in the room (there were vents for air down here) and warmed some milk before feeding the child. Keeping the milk warm with his chakra was definitely going to be a challenge, but he had great respect for whoever had hidden the child. Whoever had done so had done so well.

The baby smiled up at him, gurgling happily as he ate. Jiraiya noticed the blankets around the child were cold, so sat near the fire, keeping the baby warm with his own body heat and the fire's warmth. Tucked away in the blankets was a name card. The name card read 'Minato Namikaze' in faded kanji.

"Well now, you're certainly one for surprises, eh Namikaze?"

The babe just gurgled happily up at him and he kissed his forehead "Come on, after you eat we'd better get out of here." Then his stomach growled "Or I should eat too, huh?"

Jiraiya ate alongside the baby, ensuring the child was fed-three bottles of milk straight-before putting the fire out and picking the child up, carefully putting him in a sling. It took him three hours before he found the sloping tunnel again, unlike the five hours it had taken him to get to Minato from the sloping tunnel. Tugging on the string, he felt the slack be taken back up slowly by whoever was at the other end.

(Up on the surface)  
Tsunade had eaten, along with her teammate and sensei, before feeling the tug. Pulling the slack in, she looked to Hiruzen "He's coming back!"

"Wow…whatever was hidden down there was hidden _well_." Orochimaru commented, and Hiruzen nodded "He must have traveled down the farthest tunnel."

"Which is?"

"Each of them has a name. Past, Present, and Future. Future is the longest tunnel. Then you come to five tunnels inside the Future one. And one of those is to a cemetery's insides."

"Oh."

Two hours later, Tsunade was on her second ball once again.

(Down in the tunnels)  
Jiraiya just followed the string to the Future tunnel entrance. He held up his torch so he could see, the baby gently swaddled in a heavier blanket and inside his jacket, which he'd taken off when he'd felt the child start shivering. He didn't want this effort to be in vain.

Finally he emerged from the tunnel, dusty and sweating, panting, and thirsty all at once. He smiled tiredly at the others "I found him."

Tsunade noticed his knees give out, and he sat back against the wall, panting "Damn, they hid the kid well."

"Who is that, Jiraiya?" his sensei asked.

"Minato…Namikaze…heh…whoever hid the kid knew what they were doing…I swear, it took me five hours to find him from the five tunnels…"

Sarutobi looked impressed, as did his teammates "I'm impressed, Jiraiya. Did you feed him while you were down there?"

"Hai, I did sensei. That's what took me so long. I fed the kid because he was slowly starving to death, and that's why he was crying." Then he looked down at the bundle in the crook of his left arm, as Tsunade untied the chakra string's end from his arm. Bleary blue eyes blinked open and he smiled at the child, who smiled back, but it was obvious he wasn't teething…yet.

"Alright, mission success. We found a survivor." Sarutobi said "Let's go back to the office and I'm expecting a mission report from you later Jiraiya…is that clear?"

"Crystal, sensei." Jiraiya nodded to his sensei, and when Tsunade reached out as if to take the baby he pushed himself up "I got him, Tsu-hime."

"But you must be exhausted"

"I don't care." Darker than the sky, but lighter than the sea's navy depths, Jiraiya's blue eyes bored into her hazel ones "I'm going to help the kid."

They all went back to the office. It had been eleven am when Jiraiya went down into the tunnels and now it was nine thirty pm.

Arriving in the office, they were greeted by a receptionist "I take it the mission was successful, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi just smiled at his receptionist, and nodded silently. His tired students trailed behind him, in the crook of one of theirs' arms, a baby with sun-kissed and spiky blond hair.

In the office proper, Hiruzen turned to Jiraiya "Hidden where?"

"Ah…do you have a map?" Jiraiya asked sheepishly "I couldn't pinpoint it in my memory without one."

Hiruzen presented him with a map of the underground tunnels "Until today we didn't know how to get into the tunnels."

"I hope this doesn't mean you're going to send in a team to find everything that's down there?"

"No, it would only open if someone's down there that needs help or for a Namikaze." Hiruzen sighed "They were totally paranoid."

"Believe me, I know." Jiraiya said "I dodged many traps in there."

"Alright, so this is the beginning. Past, Present, Future. Which tunnel?"

"Future, sensei."

"And then at the five tunnels area, where to?"

"I went this way." Jiraiya traced it with his finger, all the way to the end of the center right tunnel "Minato was here." He pointed to the cavern with the fireplace and air vents.

"Wow. Alright, I hold great respect for whoever hid him down there."

"It was probably his father. Karashi was always very protective of his family and for Yumi to leave him like that nearly broke him. It would have destroyed him to lose his son. He probably thought he would be coming back, but just in case, he hid Minato well."

"I'm glad Tsu-hime made me take the bottle and all, because he was starving when I found him. I'm glad I found him too, else he'd be dead."

Minato gurgled up at him happily and Jiraiya smiled down at the baby before saying "What are we going to do with him sensei?"

"He'll have to go to the orphanage, but first we'll need to make sure he isn't sick. Come on, hospital time Jiraiya." Tsunade nodded to her sensei and pulled Jiraiya to the hospital via a Shunshin.

"Watch it, I nearly dropped the kid!" Jiraiya said.

"Sorry. Come on, let's check him over." Tsunade said, and had an older, more experienced medic check over the child.

"He's fine, he's just underfed. Did you find him hidden away at the Namikaze household?"

"He's the clan heir…his father hid him away, we believe it was his father at least."

"Well, he's in perfect health otherwise. This is quiet little Minato?"

Jiraiya nodded "I found him, hidden away in the house in a secret area none would think existed."

After giving him into the care of the orphanage-and including that he should be fed enough-Jiraiya and his teammates went home after a long day. Jiraiya's sister Keiko had been born and the birth had killed his mother, so he took care of her, looking at her as a precious person of his. His father helped out as much as he could-Jiraiya had just gotten A-rank mission pay so he could support his family for awhile-but he often drank, so Jiraiya was wary of leaving Keiko with him for any prolonged length of time. Instead, he often left instructions for his father by the crib, so that the man wouldn't accidentally hurt his sister. Jiraiya _loved_ his sister, practically to death. She was paler than he was, with the white hair of their father but spiky as his was, like their mother. She had the markings he did as well.

After one and a half years at the orphanage, there was a surprise raid from Kiri passing it off as missing-nins. Among those that went missing were Minato Namikaze…clan heir of the Namikazes and the only one who could ever unlock what went on in their blood…

I'm evil, leaving it there…hehehehe…Oh well. Look forward to the next chapter. It's about Kushina's origins. And now that I am two chapters ahead of publishing, I will probably work out what to do about Kushina's story. Dunno when I'll update next and this and the first chapter go together. Just remember that.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would be dead as would that bitch Haruno.  
  
Kushina was eight and Toki was nine. Their fox companions were always running around with them. She'd taken to calling hers Akira, and Toki's…well, Toki's had told her his name was Kyuusei. So, they went with those names. Akira was female, and Kyuusei was male, but Akira didn't appear to have any attraction to Kyuusei.

Kushina ran outside, enjoying the cool air that came right before the rain did. Her sister followed her, running through the humid air to the ramen stand in the village. While waiting for their orders to arrive, Kushina was ambushed/tickled from behind.

"H-Hey, stop that! HEY! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Two large hands spun her around and she looked up to see her brother, Ketsueki, standing at six foot three inches, looking down at her "Hey imoutou!"

"Ketsueki-nii-chan!" She hugged him tightly "Where've you been?"

"Thinking. I was actually thinking of leaving."

"L-Leaving? Why?" Kushina looked at him, puzzled. Toki looked up at her older brother "Yeah, you've always liked it here."

"It's not that I don't like it here you two. But…well, I'm not exactly sure that I want to stay in one village for the rest of my life. I want to travel, see the world." Ketsueki replied.

"I see. So that's why. YAY, RAMEN!" Kushina cried, and began eating faster than Toki could believe, even after all these years of watching her sister chow down on ramen.

After they'd both sated their ramen hunger, Akira and Kyuusei were fed meat scraps from the kitchen. Both foxes purred at them, and Kyuusei scratched out something on the counter. Toki covered the writing with her hand, hoping Ketsueki hadn't noticed. It was a secret between the two of them that the fox was actually able to talk. Kushina said "So, is that your only reason?"

"Yeah, that and I'm getting sort of bored." Ketsueki replied. Only Kushina, with her abnormally good senses due to the awakening of her power (they didn't know about the power; it only appears once ever millennia or something) could tell he was lying. There was another reason. He suddenly reeked of both lies and treachery. Betrayal was also in her sense of smell, but she didn't comment on it. She just wrinkled her nose "Eew, now I smell sewer water!"

"I forgot how much you hate those smells." Ketsueki said "I did accidentally fall in one earlier"

Both girls yelled "GO CLEAN UP!"

"Yes ma'am!" Ketsueki left and Kyuusei had erased his message on the counter.

As they walked along, Toki asked "So…what was it really?" to her sister. They were best friends as well as sisters and they shared their secrets.

Kushina drew her over to their secret meeting spot and said very softly "He's lying."

"I knew that, but what was the smells you caught?" Toki whispered.

"Treachery and betrayal along with lying." Kushina whispered back, and Kyuusei put in **"He's probably lying because he wants to keep you two from the truth, you know. But as for why…" **Kyuusei's head went down **"I'm not sure. I could tell the smell of…what was it again, your enemies? List them again please."**

"Oh come on, our enemies are Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa." Kushina said. They'd put up a powerful Genjutsu with Kyuusei's help (he was really a kitsune and he told them so) so that no one could tell what they were talking about and thought it was innocent conversation.

"**Iwa. Stone. He smelled like stone. Didn't you notice?"**

"That's what the third smell was…of course. He smelled of stone and smoke from a fire, but we don't keep fires out in…the…open…oh gods…" Kushina gasped.

"What is it, what's wrong Kushina?"

"Iwa is attacking tonight." Kushina gulped "No wonder Ketsueki didn't want us around. He isn't acting all the same as he used to, and it's as if drugs are…harming his brain…"

"**Very perceptive."**

"What level kitsune are you, anyway?"

"**Seven."** Replied Kyuusei. Inwardly he thought _'Just missed the most dangerous question…can't reveal my identity as Kyuubi No Kitsune to anyone! ANYONE! Not even Toki…even if I do love her…bad Kyuusei!'_

Since he had shown them seven tails, they believed him "Alright. We should get ready to leave."

"**Don't make it obvious." **Advised Akira, who had started speaking to them when Kushina was six **"If you do, your brother will know that you know what's happening. Tell one if not two of your siblings, but only if they do not stink of stone or lightning shinobi."**

Kushina looked to her older sister and both nodded in unison "We will." They spoke as one voice. They'd been able to do this for a long time. It was almost March Twenty-Fifth again and Kushina knew that she would not be able to pay homage to whoever had died that day-she could feel it in her soul-so she had to make do with what she had done. She would not mourn anymore, the mourning time was over.

Toki and Kushina arrived at home, and both acted very normal, calling "Tadaima!"

The others looked up and nodded to them before they went inside and, without letting on what they were doing, went up to their room "Mom, Toki's going to help me with my homework ok?"

"Alright Kushina, just be downstairs in time for dinner, alright?"

"Ok Mom!"

When they got into their shared bedroom, Kushina silently padded over to the door and let it lock behind them before she and Toki exchanged a single glance, violet meeting forest green before they packed what they could in scrolls. They didn't bring their homework or anything like that and Kushina had taken one of her mother's hitai-ates to show at the gates to an allied village, perhaps when things had died down or when they needed somewhere to go. Toki packed her medical kit as well, and then there was a knock at their door. Kushina exchanged another glance with Toki and their things were hidden well before Kushina called "Who is it?"

"Shinzou, and I wanted to ask you something." Came their brother's voice.

"Come on in." Kushina had had Kyuusei unlock the door with his tails' power.

Shinzou walked in, and noticed that their homework was somewhat strewn around the room "What happened in here?"

"Kyuusei thought it would be funny to take our homework." Toki replied, mock-glaring at the seven-tailed kitsune sitting at the foot of her bed looking very innocent.

"Akira helped him." Added Kushina, and the orange fox looked even more innocent than Kyuusei, sitting at the foot of _Kushina's_ bed.

"So, what did you want to ask us?"

"Mom hasn't been able to find her hitai-ate. Do you know where it is?"

"Haven't seen it, why?" Kushina lied easily right as Toki was about to open her mouth.

"Just wondering if it's in here. I doubt it though." He turned to go "Thanks anyway." He was oblivious to the warning look Kushina shot Toki for nearly giving it away.

"And have you two seen Daylian anywhere? His squad captain's looking for him." Shinzou turned back to ask them, and this time they truly didn't lie, looking at their brother standing at the top of the stairs.

Toki said "I think he went towards the lake for something. He'll probably be back by tonight for dinner."

"Thanks!" Shinzou called, and disappeared down the stairs.

After he left, both let out a breath they didn't know they were holding, and Kushina shut the door and locked it again. Then both of them exchanged a single glance and finished packing.

"So, anything we're missing?" Toki asked her sister quietly.

"Nope, not that I can tell. Rats, I forgot about rations." Kushina said in an equally quiet voice "Guess we'll have to steal some after everyone's asleep."

"Right. Prepare for battle, Kushina…Uzu will fall tonight."

"They…Shhh!" she said suddenly, cocking one ear to listen out the window. Voices floated up to her.

"So, we attack at two am then?"

"Yes, no one will be prepared. I even lied to my sisters about the attack, because one of them has a good sense of smell. I told her I'd fallen in a sewer and she believed me. Genuinely."

"Are you sure?" asked the Iwa shinobi. Kushina's very good eyesight picked out the Jounin clothing of the man.

"Positive. She and Toki both believed me and shouted at me to 'go wash'." In the evening light she could see Ketsueki talking with him.

"Alright. You have our thanks, and if you'd like you can join our forces."

"I would like that. After all, Uzu is nothing to me anymore." Ketsueki's face was cold, and he added "Father even made Keimei engaged to someone she hated. Our father is weak and foolish, and so are my sisters and brothers for believing me. Kushina especially. I will love the look on her face as I crush her hopes and dreams." Ketsueki said maliciously "Little brat always got me into trouble for her things, and Toki's no better, pinning blame on me."

"Good. You will make a fine Iwa shinobi." The Iwa Jounin promised, and Ketsueki nearly spotted Kushina-luckily for her the window was closed-looking in their direction. What he saw when he looked at the window was a shut window and inside Toki and Kushina appeared to be having an animated conversation. He spotted a textbook and noted that they were doing homework.

"Phew…" Kushina said, sliding down to the floor gratefully after Ketsueki had turned away "Fooling him is _hard_."

"We did it anyway. What time?" Toki asked very quietly. Kyuusei had found-and disabled-spying seals on their room _before_ the crisis began. So to the enemy shinobi it appeared that they were working on homework a lot and both had trouble with some problems. There's problem one. They _believed_ these two. They weren't known as the Pranking Duo for nothing, but Kushina was really the Prank Queen of Uzu and Toki helped bail her out of trouble.

"Two am. He hates us, Toki…nii-chan hates us." Kushina said softly, and she then let her face harden "Let them come. There will not be a total massacre tonight. Remember the Bunshin I discovered?"

"You mean the Chakra Bunshin?"

"Hai, we can use that to mimic our corpses so they kill Bunshin, rather than the real us."

"Alright. Damn, you're smart."

"I am far smarter than I let on." Kushina replied. They were actually a lot smarter, stronger, faster, and better at being shinobi and all than either of them let on, but Kushina hid more of her talent and skill than Toki did to keep up their façade of being the pranking children of the Shippuden.

"Right. So…what of the foxes?"

"**Don't worry about that. Akira and I can fake our own deaths."** Kyuusei replied, and added **"We learned the Chakra Bunshin as well. Am I to assume you can only make one each?"**

"I can make five." Kushina said proudly.

"**Ah, you have very large reserves for a girl, especially at your age. No offense but most girls have less chakra and more control if you get my meaning."**

"Of course we do, right nee-chan?"

"Right."

"**But both of you have abnormally large chakra reserves for your age and gender. Kushina more so. Anyhow, prepare and you have to have **_**something**_** to show for the homework so why don't you do it now? And appear to have trouble with it."** Kyuusei added the last part **"Just so they don't think something's up."**

They did so, mimicking their 'bad' homework and having the same answers as one another. After finishing (Kushina and Toki were barely a year apart and were in the same graduating class LOLZ) their homework, they were packing their schoolbags when a knock at the door made both freeze and Kushina had a kunai out almost instantly.

"Who's there?"

"Aw come on, it's only me. Mom says it's time for dinner." Ketsueki said.

"Oh. Coming, we've just got to finish packing our bags!" called Kushina.

Finishing that, Kushina left her weapons pack where she'd hidden it, putting the kunai back in its holster. Then she and Toki went down the stairs to dinner.

Dinner was fairly normal, with Kushina and Toki causing trouble, and their parents reprimanding them while Keimei, Daylian, and Ketsueki laughed. Kushina noticed that Ketsueki's laugh was forced, however, and she thought that it had been so for some time. No matter, she didn't let on that she knew after all. She and Toki were able to hide things and working together they could take down an inexperienced or unprepared _Jounin_ level opponent, but only when they pulled out all the stops and had help from their kitsune companions. Akira and Kyuusei were eating their own food next to the two girls, sitting on the table because they were small enough that they didn't wreck the food.

After dinner, Kushina and Toki excused themselves to their room to go train outside after getting their weapons. They used the normal things, and at ten pm their father called "Kushina, Toki! Bedtime!" The girls exchanged a single glance and picked up their weapons before heading inside. Kushina pretended to 'lose' a kunai so she had to stay out and find it, and instead stole some rations from the storehouse and put them into a storage scroll. Daylian, having noticed the problems a few weeks ago, had taught them a lot of survival basics including storing rations in a storage scroll. Running back inside with the kunai she had 'lost' and purposely left out there, she headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Wearing her pajamas, she and Toki pretended to sleep. They were to be woken at midnight by their foxes, who stayed awake to stay on guard. At precisely midnight, the two were woken. They left their pajamas (since Chakra Bunshin normally appear naked) for their Chakra Bunshin to use, and quietly dressed themselves, putting their survival gear on before a sound outside made both lie down on the bed while the foxes created an illusion of sleep and wearing PJs.

Ketsueki walked in, surveying the room. He wasn't able to detect the presence of a Genjutsu, since the foxes had put it over the whole room. He sighed, and said "Well, I guess this is goodbye, you two. See you in the next life." He kissed them both on the forehead, and left.

Ten minutes later, Daylian came in, looking slightly tired, and said "Wake up you two."

He shook Kushina, who blinked up at him "Wha…Daylian-nii, it's the middle of the night, whaddaya want?" Inwardly she snickered _'We're not bonded to kitsune for nothing! Take that, Ketsueki! You missed!'_

"I want you to promise me that if you hear fighting that you'll run." 'Daylian' said. It was actually Ketsueki and Kushina knew it "Ok…can I go back to sleep now?"

"Sure, goodnight Kushina."

"'Night Daylian-nii…" _'Idiot Ketsueki. He didn't realize that the fox on Toki-imoutou's bed is an illusion and that Kyuusei is warning Daylian-nii.'_

The REAL Daylian was woken by a fox nipping his ear. He made to cry out, but the fox clamped tails over his nose and mouth. He nodded silently, noting that Ketsueki's bed was empty. Ketsueki had been careless, and not left a Kage Bunshin or a seal of any kind on his own room to see if Daylian would wake. Instead, he'd just up and left, assuming that Daylian, while a Chuunin, would be killed.

"What is it?" He asked quietly, and the fox didn't write anything, but replied in a low voice **"Yes, I can talk, no, don't scream. I was sent by Toki. We die at two am."**

"Wh-What?"

"**You know those shinobi Ketsueki was talking to the other day? Those are Iwagakure shinobi and we are going to die at two am if you don't get moving. Toki and Kushina are already prepared. I'll wake Shinzou. Get him out of here. Keimei would be missed. But Shinzou…we can still save him. Prepare yourself for battle."**

Daylian nodded and packed quickly "Are Kushina and Toki ready?"

"**You go to Taki. There you won't be found. Head toward Konoha a few weeks later. That's where we'll be."**

"Alright, and thank you…er…"

"**Kyuusei."**

"Kyuusei then. Thanks."

"**No problem. See ya."**

After having a similar conversation with Shinzou, Kyuusei returned to the girls' room. It was now almost one am. They'd decided to leave at one thirty am, while Daylian and Shinzou would leave at one. They were told the way to Taki and the patrols of the Iwa shinobi, knowing it would be harder to get out at one thirty rather than at one. They didn't care; they were entirely too self-sacrificing according to Shinzou and he was right of course, but they didn't care.

Kushina formed her Chakra Bunshin, ensuring that her chakra couldn't be sensed, and whispered "**Chakra Bunshin No Jutsu.**"

Toki imitated her, and their Chakra Bunshin put on their pajamas while the girls prepared themselves to leave, and leave quickly. The patrols had two openings, one at one am and one at one thirty. One am had a bigger opening, one for five minutes, rather than at one thirty, which was only two minutes. Kushina had the hitai-ate of Uzu stowed carefully in her bag. It would get them into a shinobi village allied to Uzu, hopefully Konohagakure because that's where they were aiming to go.

At one, she waved silently to Daylian and Shinzou, who managed to get out through the gap in the patrols and head towards Taki. They were silent as the wind.

At one twenty-five, she and Toki were hiding near the storehouse, waiting for the opening. Finding it, they ran through, their kitsunes tucked away in their jackets. They were fast enough to get through, but just barely. However, with Kushina distracting a guard with a thrown pebble, she was able to get Toki through with her now-twisted ankle. They made it half a mile before they stopped. It was two am, and Uzu was _burning_. Kushina commanded her Chakra Bunshin to wake up because of the smoke and run like 'Daylian' had made her promise to. Toki did the same with hers, while the real Kushina bandaged her ankle.

"Can you walk? We have to run."

Toki tried to get up, but her ankle refused to let her move "I can't. I'm sorry."

Kyuusei looked around **"Well…since we're not getting any younger…I'll take you."** He jumped off of Toki's shoulder and became about up to her chest **"Tie her on with the leather straps."** He instructed Kushina, who nodded and did exactly that.

Then they picked up the pace, running again. Kushina surprised Kyuusei by keeping up with him for two hours before she had to be carried by Akira.

"**You, Kushina-kit, are very strong."**

"Ha…thanks…I can run farther after half an hour…"

Together the fox and girl group of four headed for the border of Uzu No Kuni. They were across the border by noon, having only stopped momentarily to get the girls something to eat and some fresh water. It would be about two to three more days to get to Konoha.

Their Chakra Bunshins had met them on the border, having gotten up from the death wounds to bring them the Uzumaki clan scrolls. Then they dispelled, causing both to slump against their foxes to process the information.

Landing themselves into trouble wasn't something they did. They had avoided a Konoha patrol, but just barely, when they were attacked by Iwa shinobi. The two Uzu girls had to stay out of that, else they'd be picked out and killed by the Iwa nins. As it was they were risking their lives to get to Konoha.  
  
And that's a WRAP! Wow, this is the longest chapter I've written for this story! And the whole 'exchanging glances' thing is because they know each other so well. They can communicate non-verbally. Not like a married couple but they act more like twins than sisters that are one year apart, simply because Kushina and Toki know one another so well. They fit well in a tandem pair.  
As for Shinzou, I've decided to let him live. I know it's not what I said I was going to do but _hey_, I _changed my mind_. Since I'm not sure where to go from here with Minato's side of the story, I'm going back to reading until my inspiration sparks again. Don't worry, it will be up when it's ready. I'm just trying to stay two chapters ahead of posting.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Naruto. If I did, Sasuke would be dead as would that bitch Haruno.  
  
Kushina was eight and Toki was nine. Their fox companions were always running around with them. She'd taken to calling hers Akira, and Toki's…well, Toki's had told her his name was Kyuusei. So, they went with those names. Akira was female, and Kyuusei was male, but Akira didn't appear to have any attraction to Kyuusei.

Kushina ran outside, enjoying the cool air that came right before the rain did. Her sister followed her, running through the humid air to the ramen stand in the village. While waiting for their orders to arrive, Kushina was ambushed/tickled from behind.

"H-Hey, stop that! HEY! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Two large hands spun her around and she looked up to see her brother, Ketsueki, standing at six foot three inches, looking down at her "Hey imoutou!"

"Ketsueki-nii-chan!" She hugged him tightly "Where've you been?"

"Thinking. I was actually thinking of leaving."

"L-Leaving? Why?" Kushina looked at him, puzzled. Toki looked up at her older brother "Yeah, you've always liked it here."

"It's not that I don't like it here you two. But…well, I'm not exactly sure that I want to stay in one village for the rest of my life. I want to travel, see the world." Ketsueki replied.

"I see. So that's why. YAY, RAMEN!" Kushina cried, and began eating faster than Toki could believe, even after all these years of watching her sister chow down on ramen.

After they'd both sated their ramen hunger, Akira and Kyuusei were fed meat scraps from the kitchen. Both foxes purred at them, and Kyuusei scratched out something on the counter. Toki covered the writing with her hand, hoping Ketsueki hadn't noticed. It was a secret between the two of them that the fox was actually able to talk. Kushina said "So, is that your only reason?"

"Yeah, that and I'm getting sort of bored." Ketsueki replied. Only Kushina, with her abnormally good senses due to the awakening of her power (they didn't know about the power; it only appears once ever millennia or something) could tell he was lying. There was another reason. He suddenly reeked of both lies and treachery. Betrayal was also in her sense of smell, but she didn't comment on it. She just wrinkled her nose "Eew, now I smell sewer water!"

"I forgot how much you hate those smells." Ketsueki said "I did accidentally fall in one earlier"

Both girls yelled "GO CLEAN UP!"

"Yes ma'am!" Ketsueki left and Kyuusei had erased his message on the counter.

As they walked along, Toki asked "So…what was it really?" to her sister. They were best friends as well as sisters and they shared their secrets.

Kushina drew her over to their secret meeting spot and said very softly "He's lying."

"I knew that, but what was the smells you caught?" Toki whispered.

"Treachery and betrayal along with lying." Kushina whispered back, and Kyuusei put in **"He's probably lying because he wants to keep you two from the truth, you know. But as for why…" **Kyuusei's head went down **"I'm not sure. I could tell the smell of…what was it again, your enemies? List them again please."**

"Oh come on, our enemies are Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa." Kushina said. They'd put up a powerful Genjutsu with Kyuusei's help (he was really a kitsune and he told them so) so that no one could tell what they were talking about and thought it was innocent conversation.

"**Iwa. Stone. He smelled like stone. Didn't you notice?"**

"That's what the third smell was…of course. He smelled of stone and smoke from a fire, but we don't keep fires out in…the…open…oh gods…" Kushina gasped.

"What is it, what's wrong Kushina?"

"Iwa is attacking tonight." Kushina gulped "No wonder Ketsueki didn't want us around. He isn't acting all the same as he used to, and it's as if drugs are…harming his brain…"

"**Very perceptive."**

"What level kitsune are you, anyway?"

"**Seven."** Replied Kyuusei. Inwardly he thought _'Just missed the most dangerous question…can't reveal my identity as Kyuubi No Kitsune to anyone! ANYONE! Not even Toki…even if I do love her…bad Kyuusei!'_

Since he had shown them seven tails, they believed him "Alright. We should get ready to leave."

"**Don't make it obvious." **Advised Akira, who had started speaking to them when Kushina was six **"If you do, your brother will know that you know what's happening. Tell one if not two of your siblings, but only if they do not stink of stone or lightning shinobi."**

Kushina looked to her older sister and both nodded in unison "We will." They spoke as one voice. They'd been able to do this for a long time. It was almost March Twenty-Fifth again and Kushina knew that she would not be able to pay homage to whoever had died that day-she could feel it in her soul-so she had to make do with what she had done. She would not mourn anymore, the mourning time was over.

Toki and Kushina arrived at home, and both acted very normal, calling "Tadaima!"

The others looked up and nodded to them before they went inside and, without letting on what they were doing, went up to their room "Mom, Toki's going to help me with my homework ok?"

"Alright Kushina, just be downstairs in time for dinner, alright?"

"Ok Mom!"

When they got into their shared bedroom, Kushina silently padded over to the door and let it lock behind them before she and Toki exchanged a single glance, violet meeting forest green before they packed what they could in scrolls. They didn't bring their homework or anything like that and Kushina had taken one of her mother's hitai-ates to show at the gates to an allied village, perhaps when things had died down or when they needed somewhere to go. Toki packed her medical kit as well, and then there was a knock at their door. Kushina exchanged another glance with Toki and their things were hidden well before Kushina called "Who is it?"

"Shinzou, and I wanted to ask you something." Came their brother's voice.

"Come on in." Kushina had had Kyuusei unlock the door with his tails' power.

Shinzou walked in, and noticed that their homework was somewhat strewn around the room "What happened in here?"

"Kyuusei thought it would be funny to take our homework." Toki replied, mock-glaring at the seven-tailed kitsune sitting at the foot of her bed looking very innocent.

"Akira helped him." Added Kushina, and the orange fox looked even more innocent than Kyuusei, sitting at the foot of _Kushina's_ bed.

"So, what did you want to ask us?"

"Mom hasn't been able to find her hitai-ate. Do you know where it is?"

"Haven't seen it, why?" Kushina lied easily right as Toki was about to open her mouth.

"Just wondering if it's in here. I doubt it though." He turned to go "Thanks anyway." He was oblivious to the warning look Kushina shot Toki for nearly giving it away.

"And have you two seen Daylian anywhere? His squad captain's looking for him." Shinzou turned back to ask them, and this time they truly didn't lie, looking at their brother standing at the top of the stairs.

Toki said "I think he went towards the lake for something. He'll probably be back by tonight for dinner."

"Thanks!" Shinzou called, and disappeared down the stairs.

After he left, both let out a breath they didn't know they were holding, and Kushina shut the door and locked it again. Then both of them exchanged a single glance and finished packing.

"So, anything we're missing?" Toki asked her sister quietly.

"Nope, not that I can tell. Rats, I forgot about rations." Kushina said in an equally quiet voice "Guess we'll have to steal some after everyone's asleep."

"Right. Prepare for battle, Kushina…Uzu will fall tonight."

"They…Shhh!" she said suddenly, cocking one ear to listen out the window. Voices floated up to her.

"So, we attack at two am then?"

"Yes, no one will be prepared. I even lied to my sisters about the attack, because one of them has a good sense of smell. I told her I'd fallen in a sewer and she believed me. Genuinely."

"Are you sure?" asked the Iwa shinobi. Kushina's very good eyesight picked out the Jounin clothing of the man.

"Positive. She and Toki both believed me and shouted at me to 'go wash'." In the evening light she could see Ketsueki talking with him.

"Alright. You have our thanks, and if you'd like you can join our forces."

"I would like that. After all, Uzu is nothing to me anymore." Ketsueki's face was cold, and he added "Father even made Keimei engaged to someone she hated. Our father is weak and foolish, and so are my sisters and brothers for believing me. Kushina especially. I will love the look on her face as I crush her hopes and dreams." Ketsueki said maliciously "Little brat always got me into trouble for her things, and Toki's no better, pinning blame on me."

"Good. You will make a fine Iwa shinobi." The Iwa Jounin promised, and Ketsueki nearly spotted Kushina-luckily for her the window was closed-looking in their direction. What he saw when he looked at the window was a shut window and inside Toki and Kushina appeared to be having an animated conversation. He spotted a textbook and noted that they were doing homework.

"Phew…" Kushina said, sliding down to the floor gratefully after Ketsueki had turned away "Fooling him is _hard_."

"We did it anyway. What time?" Toki asked very quietly. Kyuusei had found-and disabled-spying seals on their room _before_ the crisis began. So to the enemy shinobi it appeared that they were working on homework a lot and both had trouble with some problems. There's problem one. They _believed_ these two. They weren't known as the Pranking Duo for nothing, but Kushina was really the Prank Queen of Uzu and Toki helped bail her out of trouble.

"Two am. He hates us, Toki…nii-chan hates us." Kushina said softly, and she then let her face harden "Let them come. There will not be a total massacre tonight. Remember the Bunshin I discovered?"

"You mean the Chakra Bunshin?"

"Hai, we can use that to mimic our corpses so they kill Bunshin, rather than the real us."

"Alright. Damn, you're smart."

"I am far smarter than I let on." Kushina replied. They were actually a lot smarter, stronger, faster, and better at being shinobi and all than either of them let on, but Kushina hid more of her talent and skill than Toki did to keep up their façade of being the pranking children of the Shippuden.

"Right. So…what of the foxes?"

"**Don't worry about that. Akira and I can fake our own deaths."** Kyuusei replied, and added **"We learned the Chakra Bunshin as well. Am I to assume you can only make one each?"**

"I can make five." Kushina said proudly.

"**Ah, you have very large reserves for a girl, especially at your age. No offense but most girls have less chakra and more control if you get my meaning."**

"Of course we do, right nee-chan?"

"Right."

"**But both of you have abnormally large chakra reserves for your age and gender. Kushina more so. Anyhow, prepare and you have to have **_**something**_** to show for the homework so why don't you do it now? And appear to have trouble with it."** Kyuusei added the last part **"Just so they don't think something's up."**

They did so, mimicking their 'bad' homework and having the same answers as one another. After finishing (Kushina and Toki were barely a year apart and were in the same graduating class LOLZ) their homework, they were packing their schoolbags when a knock at the door made both freeze and Kushina had a kunai out almost instantly.

"Who's there?"

"Aw come on, it's only me. Mom says it's time for dinner." Ketsueki said.

"Oh. Coming, we've just got to finish packing our bags!" called Kushina.

Finishing that, Kushina left her weapons pack where she'd hidden it, putting the kunai back in its holster. Then she and Toki went down the stairs to dinner.

Dinner was fairly normal, with Kushina and Toki causing trouble, and their parents reprimanding them while Keimei, Daylian, and Ketsueki laughed. Kushina noticed that Ketsueki's laugh was forced, however, and she thought that it had been so for some time. No matter, she didn't let on that she knew after all. She and Toki were able to hide things and working together they could take down an inexperienced or unprepared _Jounin_ level opponent, but only when they pulled out all the stops and had help from their kitsune companions. Akira and Kyuusei were eating their own food next to the two girls, sitting on the table because they were small enough that they didn't wreck the food.

After dinner, Kushina and Toki excused themselves to their room to go train outside after getting their weapons. They used the normal things, and at ten pm their father called "Kushina, Toki! Bedtime!" The girls exchanged a single glance and picked up their weapons before heading inside. Kushina pretended to 'lose' a kunai so she had to stay out and find it, and instead stole some rations from the storehouse and put them into a storage scroll. Daylian, having noticed the problems a few weeks ago, had taught them a lot of survival basics including storing rations in a storage scroll. Running back inside with the kunai she had 'lost' and purposely left out there, she headed upstairs to get ready for bed. Wearing her pajamas, she and Toki pretended to sleep. They were to be woken at midnight by their foxes, who stayed awake to stay on guard. At precisely midnight, the two were woken. They left their pajamas (since Chakra Bunshin normally appear naked) for their Chakra Bunshin to use, and quietly dressed themselves, putting their survival gear on before a sound outside made both lie down on the bed while the foxes created an illusion of sleep and wearing PJs.

Ketsueki walked in, surveying the room. He wasn't able to detect the presence of a Genjutsu, since the foxes had put it over the whole room. He sighed, and said "Well, I guess this is goodbye, you two. See you in the next life." He kissed them both on the forehead, and left.

Ten minutes later, Daylian came in, looking slightly tired, and said "Wake up you two."

He shook Kushina, who blinked up at him "Wha…Daylian-nii, it's the middle of the night, whaddaya want?" Inwardly she snickered _'We're not bonded to kitsune for nothing! Take that, Ketsueki! You missed!'_

"I want you to promise me that if you hear fighting that you'll run." 'Daylian' said. It was actually Ketsueki and Kushina knew it "Ok…can I go back to sleep now?"

"Sure, goodnight Kushina."

"'Night Daylian-nii…" _'Idiot Ketsueki. He didn't realize that the fox on Toki-imoutou's bed is an illusion and that Kyuusei is warning Daylian-nii.'_

The REAL Daylian was woken by a fox nipping his ear. He made to cry out, but the fox clamped tails over his nose and mouth. He nodded silently, noting that Ketsueki's bed was empty. Ketsueki had been careless, and not left a Kage Bunshin or a seal of any kind on his own room to see if Daylian would wake. Instead, he'd just up and left, assuming that Daylian, while a Chuunin, would be killed.

"What is it?" He asked quietly, and the fox didn't write anything, but replied in a low voice **"Yes, I can talk, no, don't scream. I was sent by Toki. We die at two am."**

"Wh-What?"

"**You know those shinobi Ketsueki was talking to the other day? Those are Iwagakure shinobi and we are going to die at two am if you don't get moving. Toki and Kushina are already prepared. I'll wake Shinzou. Get him out of here. Keimei would be missed. But Shinzou…we can still save him. Prepare yourself for battle."**

Daylian nodded and packed quickly "Are Kushina and Toki ready?"

"**You go to Taki. There you won't be found. Head toward Konoha a few weeks later. That's where we'll be."**

"Alright, and thank you…er…"

"**Kyuusei."**

"Kyuusei then. Thanks."

"**No problem. See ya."**

After having a similar conversation with Shinzou, Kyuusei returned to the girls' room. It was now almost one am. They'd decided to leave at one thirty am, while Daylian and Shinzou would leave at one. They were told the way to Taki and the patrols of the Iwa shinobi, knowing it would be harder to get out at one thirty rather than at one. They didn't care; they were entirely too self-sacrificing according to Shinzou and he was right of course, but they didn't care.

Kushina formed her Chakra Bunshin, ensuring that her chakra couldn't be sensed, and whispered "**Chakra Bunshin No Jutsu.**"

Toki imitated her, and their Chakra Bunshin put on their pajamas while the girls prepared themselves to leave, and leave quickly. The patrols had two openings, one at one am and one at one thirty. One am had a bigger opening, one for five minutes, rather than at one thirty, which was only two minutes. Kushina had the hitai-ate of Uzu stowed carefully in her bag. It would get them into a shinobi village allied to Uzu, hopefully Konohagakure because that's where they were aiming to go.

At one, she waved silently to Daylian and Shinzou, who managed to get out through the gap in the patrols and head towards Taki. They were silent as the wind.

At one twenty-five, she and Toki were hiding near the storehouse, waiting for the opening. Finding it, they ran through, their kitsunes tucked away in their jackets. They were fast enough to get through, but just barely. However, with Kushina distracting a guard with a thrown pebble, she was able to get Toki through with her now-twisted ankle. They made it half a mile before they stopped. It was two am, and Uzu was _burning_. Kushina commanded her Chakra Bunshin to wake up because of the smoke and run like 'Daylian' had made her promise to. Toki did the same with hers, while the real Kushina bandaged her ankle.

"Can you walk? We have to run."

Toki tried to get up, but her ankle refused to let her move "I can't. I'm sorry."

Kyuusei looked around **"Well…since we're not getting any younger…I'll take you."** He jumped off of Toki's shoulder and became about up to her chest **"Tie her on with the leather straps."** He instructed Kushina, who nodded and did exactly that.

Then they picked up the pace, running again. Kushina surprised Kyuusei by keeping up with him for two hours before she had to be carried by Akira.

"**You, Kushina-kit, are very strong."**

"Ha…thanks…I can run farther after half an hour…"

Together the fox and girl group of four headed for the border of Uzu No Kuni. They were across the border by noon, having only stopped momentarily to get the girls something to eat and some fresh water. It would be about two to three more days to get to Konoha.

Their Chakra Bunshins had met them on the border, having gotten up from the death wounds to bring them the Uzumaki clan scrolls. Then they dispelled, causing both to slump against their foxes to process the information.

Landing themselves into trouble wasn't something they did. They had avoided a Konoha patrol, but just barely, when they were attacked by Iwa shinobi. The two Uzu girls had to stay out of that, else they'd be picked out and killed by the Iwa nins. As it was they were risking their lives to get to Konoha.  
  
And that's a WRAP! Wow, this is the longest chapter I've written for this story! And the whole 'exchanging glances' thing is because they know each other so well. They can communicate non-verbally. Not like a married couple but they act more like twins than sisters that are one year apart, simply because Kushina and Toki know one another so well. They fit well in a tandem pair.  
As for Shinzou, I've decided to let him live. I know it's not what I said I was going to do but _hey_, I _changed my mind_. Since I'm not sure where to go from here with Minato's side of the story, I'm going back to reading until my inspiration sparks again. Don't worry, it will be up when it's ready. I'm just trying to stay two chapters ahead of posting.


End file.
